Transportation, calendars, school contacts, forms, menus and apps...all in one quick recap.
Kanawha County Schools has shared a lot of back-to-school information over the past several weeks. If you remember seeing the post you need but cannot remember where you saved it, this recap is for you.
The best place to start is the KCS Back-to-School Hub. It brings together calendars, school contact information, transportation resources, menus, forms, attendance information, app guides, and other frequently requested resources.
Here is a quick guide to what families can find there.
Find Your School and Its Contact Information
Families who are new to the area, have recently moved, or want to double-check their school assignment can use the KCS Find My School tool. Enter your home address and your student’s grade to see the elementary, middle and high schools assigned to that address.
Once you know your school, visit the Contact My School page for school websites, phone numbers, address, and other contact information. Your student’s school is the best first contact for questions about schedules, teachers, supplies, forms, attendance and school routines.
Transportation: Routes, Stops and Bus Tracking
The same online tool used to find your school can also help you find your student’s bus route and stop. Results include the route number, stop location and available morning and afternoon times. Families should review both directions because the morning and afternoon information may be different.
Beginning this year, families should pay close attention to the route number rather than the bus number. A bus number identifies the vehicle, while the route number identifies where it is going. The vehicle assigned to a route may change, but the route number will remain the same.
KCS is also introducing the WheresTheBus app. Families can use it to:
Track their student’s route in real time
View estimated arrival times
Receive delay and transportation alerts
See when their student scans on or off the bus
Students in elementary school will be expected to scan a KCS student tag when boarding and leaving the bus. A tag is a safety tool, not a ticket to ride. Students will not be denied transportation because a tag is lost or forgotten, and schools can print replacements.
Download instructions and additional information are available in the WheresTheBus Family Guide. Daily transportation updates will continue to be posted on the KCS Bus Changes page.
Choose the Calendar That Works for You
Families can find several calendar options on the Back-to-School Hub:
A full digital, month-by-month calendar
The traditional 2026–2027 KCS school calendar
The separate year-round calendar for Piedmont Elementary
A Sync to Calendar option that adds school holidays, breaks and other important dates directly to a phone, tablet or computer
The traditional and Piedmont calendars are also available on the 2026–2027 Calendar Documents page. Families can also select Calendar at the top of the KCS website or view school and district events through the KCS app.
For a quicker visual, KCS also shared separate Facebook graphics highlighting long weekends and midweek days off during the school year.
Complete Beginning-of-Year Forms
All parents and guardians must complete Beginning-of-Year forms for each student in their household.
The updated online process has three steps:
Complete the short Packet Launcher.
Check your email for your student’s official digital packet.
Open, complete and submit the emailed packet.
Submitting the Packet Launcher does not complete the process. The forms are finished only after the emailed packet is submitted, and the steps must be repeated for each student.
The online forms are available through the Back-to-School Hub. The Beginning-of-Year forms can also be found in the button bar of the KCS website.
Submit Attendance Excuses Online
When a student is absent, families have the option to submit an attendance excuse online.
The form can be found:
In the KCS app after selecting your child’s school
Through the Attendance Form link at the top of your child’s school website
The form also allows families to upload supporting documents, such as a doctor’s note. Please make sure the school named on the form matches your child’s school before submitting it. Families may also provide a written excuse directly to the school.
Find Monthly Breakfast and Lunch Menus
KCS breakfast and lunch menus are available through the district website and the KCS app.
On the website, select Menu, then choose School Menus | Kanawha County Schools under the Parents/Guardians column. In the app, tap More, select Dining and then open the menu link.
Each menu is available in an accessible, text-based format along with a traditional version that families can open, download or print. Menus are posted for the full month, and the next month’s menus are added by the afternoon of the last day of the current month.
Visit the KCS School Menus page and save it for quick access throughout the year.
Stay Connected with the KCS App
The free KCS app gives families quick access to district and school information from one place. Families can:
Follow one or more KCS schools
Receive school and district notifications
View news, events and calendars
Access breakfast and lunch menus
Find school contact information
Submit attendance excuses
Open important forms, documents and resources
The KCS App Guide includes download links and instructions for following schools and turning on notifications.
More on the Back-to-School Hub
The Hub also includes open house information, the updated Student/Parent Handbook, resources for families who are new to KCS, school safety and security information, communication tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
Visit and save the KCS Back-to-School Hub. It will remain available as a central resource for families as the school year gets underway.